The Dota 2 off-season is well underway, leaving fans wanting more after watching OG's historic run through The International just last month. As fans wait patiently, Valve has released the preliminary schedule for the 2019-20 Dota Pro Circuit. The game studio has also revealed a number of rule changes that will come into effect this season.

via Valve

As usual, the circuit will include both Minors and Majors, each offering a number of points towards teams' DPC ranking. In an update from last year, every team competing in these events will now gain some amount of points. Minors will now be worth a total of 660 DPC points as opposed to the 500 of last season. Majors offer a total of 15,000 DPC points. Teams who have qualified for a Major from a Minor will only retain the higher value of points from either event. So, if a Minor-qualified team places higher than 12th at a Major, they would keep the points obtained from that Major only. If they place 13-16th (worth 100 DPC points), they would keep the 140 points earned at the previous Minor tournament. The top 12 teams at the end of the season will gain a direct invite to The International 2020.

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When it comes to roster security, a number of new rules have been implemented for this upcoming season. Teams who have secured a slot at a Minor or Major can make a roster move, though it will grant them an additional 20% deduction in DPC points earned at that event. Teams will be able to switch or remove players up until the beginning of the last Minor tournament, afterwards they will not be able to remove players from the active lineup. Teams will be allowed to add players to their roster up until the day after the last Major has ended. After that point, rosters will be considered locked and TI10 invites will be sent out.

via Dot Esports/Valve

Both Minor and Major qualifiers will be combined into one, shorter event, the first of which starting on September 30th. Minors and Majors will also have similar formats, both utilizing the GSL group system. The first Minor is set to begin on November 7th, in a yet-to-be-disclosed location. The following Major will run from November 16th to the 24th.

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